2015 Hyundai Genesis Launch Report by Steve Purdy +VIDEO

Unpretentious but classy, with amazing content and solid, practical
luxury

We were fortunate to attend the regional launch event in suburban
Detroit a couple weeks ago for the new Genesis and were impressed again
with the full-size luxury sedan by upstart Korean carmaker Hyundai. Perhaps
we shouldn’t be calling them an upstart anymore since they, and
sister brand Kia, have proven themselves over the last 15 years, or so, to
be contenders on the world stage. Hyundai cars and crossovers are equal to
anything in the segments in which they compete, and they have earned a
reputation for raising the bar in terms of value and content.

2015 Hyundai Genesis

The redesigned Hyundai Genesis continues that trend into the car’s
second generation.

Genesis slots between the nearly full-size Azera and the ultra-luxury
Equus in the Hyundai family. All three of these can be considered in the
luxury class, though a slot below the Germans and the premium Asians in
terms of style and sophistication and cost. We’ll quickly add
that’s a narrow slot, indeed. If you carefully compare content,
space, materials, powertrains and overall ambiance you may not find much
difference at all. So for a marginally lower price we usually find Hyundai
products to offer good value. That applies to the new Genesis.

2015 Hyundai Genesis

The criticism sometimes leveled is that the style and design lacks
passion. Well, I suppose that’s a matter of perception and individual
taste. The new Genesis presents a considerably bolder face with a larger,
aggressive grille and distinctive fascia. The rear view also gets
strengthened. The interior gets a variety of upgrades including a new
center stack, larger navigation/multifunction screen and new, upscale
materials. The analog clock, in this reporters view, is a must for any
luxury car and the Genesis has one, though its design is less than
impressive.

2015 Hyundai Genesis

The cabin is remarkably quiet. We found the standard leather seating
comfortable and new, fine materials surround the cabin. A variety of wood,
metal and leather trims blend well together in the two examples we were
able to evaluate. Nothing looked overthought or overdone. Controls were
mostly sensible and easily managed, though we didn’t explore all the
functions of the infotainment system. Those elements we did explore did not
seem gimmicky as do some systems in this luxury category. A practical mix
of knobs and buttons made the basic functions easy. We need to spend much
more time with the non-basic functions to provide a more thorough
assessment.

Under the hood the engine/transmission combinations are carried over
from the previous generation – that is, a 420-horsepower 5.0-liter V8
and a 311-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 both mated to an eight-speed automatic
transmission. The new rear-wheel drive platform -3 inches longer than the
last one – allows for an all-wheel drive option for those of us who
deal with winter conditions and those who just like the extra poise of
having all the wheels in play when needed. Three driving modes change
suspension settings, shift points and steering input, but on our short test
drive I was unable to feel much difference. That will come with a more
thorough review.

Our drive time was limited so we’ll save our more detailed review
for our week-long test later - maybe even a big road trip if the timing is
right. In the meantime, be assured that our brief drive through the lakes
and rural areas of western Oakland County impressed us with the new
Genesis’ competence on the road. We pushed it hard enough to get a
sense of its capabilities and came away impressed.

Watch the complete introduction of the 2015 Genesis at the Detroit Auto Show

The question was asked by one of our colleagues, “Why opt for an
Equus considering what you get with the Genesis?” Good question. You
mostly get a bigger back seat and a bit more luxury with Equus but not a
lot more.

A couple of innovations new to this new Genesis are: an air quality
sensor that will detect sleep inducing CO2 in the cabin and automatically
bring in fresh air, and a slick system of opening the trunk hands- and
feet-free. Unlike Ford’s system that requires us to wave a foot under
the bumper, this system just requires the drive to stand behind the car for
three seconds with the fob in his/her pocket.

We liked the previous generation Genesis because of its unpretentious
but classy style, amazing content and solid, practical luxury. We like the
new one for the same reasons.